You Are Not To Blame
by Marymel
Summary: Sofia talks to Jim after the events in "Strip Maul." Some spoilers!


**I don't own CSI.**

**As much as I love writing my Jackson stories (more are on the way!), I also enjoy writing for Brass and Sofia. I always liked the friendship between them, and I'm surprised I haven't written this sooner. After the events in "Strip Maul", I wondered how Sofia might comfort Jim after learning of what happened. So...here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy...and please review.**

**Oh, and this does contain spoilers for 13X09.**

Deputy Sheriff Sofia Curtis had to admit that she missed the LVPD and her friends from the crime lab. She had lunch with Ecklie's daughter, Morgan Brody, and enjoyed catching up on her and everything that was going on at the lab. Now she found herself standing in the doorway of Jim Brass' office. When she was a CSI and later a detective, Jim always treated her with respect and concern. She wanted to do the same for him after Morgan told her about finding a hooker with the engagement ring that Jim had given to his ex-wife.

Jim looked up from the file he was reading and smiled softly when he saw Sofia. "Slow day at the office?"

Sofia smiled, walked into Jim's office and sat down. "I, uh...had a good lunch with Morgan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I practically watched her grow up, and now she's a CSI." Sofia shook her head a smiled. "Seems like only yesterday she was bugging Ecklie to show her everything in the lab."

Jim laughed. "Yeah. She's a great CSI, though."

Sofia smiled and nodded. Looking at Jim, she decided to be open instead of beating around the bush. "She told me about the ring."

Jim sighed. "Yeah. You know, Nancy wanted to give the ring back to me. But I told her she should keep it...for Ellie." He shook his head and looked away briefly. "Not how I envisioned her getting the ring."

"Jim, she's always been...troubled."

"No, I know that. Believe me, if I could go back and tell her over and over again that I love her I would."

Sofia leaned forward and took Jim's hand. "You are not to blame here, Jim."

Jim chuckled sadly. "Really? I mean, I used to wonder what I did to make her hate me so much."

"You did nothing!" Sofia insisted.

"So, maybe if I'd been there more or..."

"Jim, stop it," Sofia said authoritatively. Jim looked at the beautiful woman. "You are not to blame here."

Jim shook his head. "I once told Grissom that I envy parents who live in ignorant bliss about their kids, because I know my daughter." He thought about how Ellie seemed to do everything in her power to degrade herself and hurt him.

Sofia stared thoughtfully at her dear friend. "You did everything you could do...for her and for your ex. If there's anyone I do blame in all of this, it's your ex-wife for treating you like garbage and practically making it acceptable for Ellie to do the same. I blame her, not you."

Jim looked at Sofia, surprised in her statement. "You know, sometimes I wonder...what if I had been some Norman Rockwell, fifties sitcom superdad...would things have been different."

Once again, Sofia took Jim's hand in hers. "You are a good man. Maybe someday Ellie will see that, maybe not. But do not _ever_ think that you are not a good cop and a good man."

A smile found its way to Jim's face as he looked at the woman who had come to mean so much to him. He knew Ellie may never come back to him, and if she did, it would mean her hitting rock-bottom. "I hope...I hope she cleans herself up and we have some kind of relationship where we're not going through the same old motions. I keep wondering if she'll bottom out...or if she hasn't done that already."

"I hope she will come back to you," Sofia said honestly. "And...if she doesn't...she has no one to blame but herself, not you."

Jim smiled slightly and heaved a deep sigh. "Thank you."

Sofia smiled. "You're welcome." She glanced at her watch. "You off soon?"

"Uh, yeah," Jim replied, snapping out of his thoughts. "Why, you busy?"

"Well, I do have a meeting with Sheriff Liston in about an hour." Sofia rubbed the back of Jim's hand with her thumb. "But I'll be home later if you want bagels and coffee again."

Jim laughed softly and smiled. "It's a date." He smiled at the beautiful woman. In everything he and the team had been through in the past few years, Jim's relationship with Sofia had become a welcome surprise to the gruff detective. He hadn't expected to find happiness at all, even with a fellow detective.

Sofia smiled and stood up. "So...I'll see you around ten?"

"Yeah," Jim said with a smile. "Maybe we'll actually get to enjoy more of breakfast."

As she walked out the door, Sofia said, "Maybe we'll make it lunch."

Jim smiled, thinking of how much Sofia had began to mean to him and how, with everything that had happened between him and Ellie, hearing Sofia being so honest was refreshing. He smiled, thinking of how the team had become his family and how Sofia had become so much more than a colleague.

Even if things were never resolved between him and his daughter, Jim had to admit that he had a good family with the team...and something special with Sofia.

**The End.**

**And I am writing a story about Sofia's lunch with Morgan!**


End file.
